1. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to computer systems in general and specifically to computer-based knowledge systems and the interchange of knowledge information.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer knowledge acquisition systems attempt to make computers “expert” in some area by drawing knowledge from experts, encoding this knowledge for use in a computer system, and providing software programs that use this knowledge to develop solutions. In current art, the subject matter expert working alone or with a knowledge system engineer, enter strategic knowledge information in the form of language statements or knowledge hierarchies. Several strategies and techniques exist for the entry of knowledge information. One approach utilizes a task-method-knowledge (“TMK”) hierarchy that encodes problem-solving strategies in a hierarchy representing strategies developed by experts for specific problems. In a TMK hierarchy, a problem is solved by a process of defined methods, tasks, subtasks, procedures, and the reference to pre-defined models or classes. For example, a hierarchy to define a new drug for treatment of a specific disease may include methods for modifying existing drugs and the tasks, subtasks, and procedures for the modification. It may also include the models and classes of existing drugs that may form the basis of the modification. Once complete, such a hierarchy could be extracted and transported to another system to be used by others searching for drug solutions. Or it could be transported and merged with another hierarchy to provide a richer, more robust knowledge system. To extract and export a complete hierarchy would comprise the extraction, formatting to a standard form, and writing to a transportable file all elements of the hierarchy.
In current art, TMK hierarchies are defined either as a set of textual language statements similar to a programming language such as LISP, or they exist in a form internal to the visual entry knowledge system. While these forms are both appropriate and useful in solving the problems for which the hierarchies were developed, these forms of knowledge representation are not interchangeable. Neither form can be combined with other knowledge systems. In the textual form of current systems, the names of hierarchy elements defined in the language statements must match references to the elements, and while such name matching is consistent within a single hierarchy, work must be done to match names when combining two hierarchies. Thus to merge two hierarchies in the textual form requires that the names and other properties, for example, data type, of the elements must match the references to the elements. Moreover, while within a single hierarchy, processes are in place to perform this work. For example, when compiled, LISP programs will generate name and data type mismatches, when merging two hierarchies; the name and property match is done manually through inspection. This work is often difficult and error-prone. Similarly, the internal form of one hierarchy cannot easily be combined with another. If the internal forms are different, any incompatibilities in element representation will make the combining of hierarchies impossible. Even if the internal forms are identical, the problem of combining hierarchies becomes similar and just as difficult as the combining of text language statements.
The motivation for combining hierarchies lies in two areas. First, the collaboration on large projects will require the combining of the separate components. Second, the packaging for the marketplace of knowledge hierarchies requires a process by which the purchaser can “install” the knowledge to prepare for use.
What is needed is a method for first the extraction of a knowledge hierarchy into a standard and transportable format, and then the process by which the extracted knowledge is installed and possibly combined with other hierarchies on the same or other similar knowledge system.